University Art - Newsletter

The Community Artist

University Art Newsletter Vol. 3 Issue 12, December 2004

ART ORGANIZATIONS SPOTLIGHT

This month we will stay on the other side of the hill and visit the Santa Cruz Art League. This club, like the Sunnyvale Art Club, is a co-sponsored organization, receiving a funding grant from the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County. This club features several competitions a year, including a general statewide competition and The American Figurative Art Exhibit.

For more information on other exhibits as well as membership info, call the Santa Cruz Art League at (831) 426-5789 or write to them at: 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

COMING SOON

Ceremony of Tea Exhibit
Starts 12/18/04
Reception 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm 12/16/04
Triton Museum of Art
1505 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA
For Details: www.tritonmuseum.org

Karen Von Felton
11/4/04 - 1/2/05
Triton Museum of Art
1505 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara
(408) 247-3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org

Jacquelyn Paull
Paintings and digital Graphics
1/1/05 - 3/15/05
Rosirucian Egyptian Museum
1342 Naglee Avenue
San Jose, CA 95191

If you have exhibit info that you want to have posted please e-mail at snjbram@aol.com

TRIVIA AND STUFF JUST FOR FUN

December is here, the month of Christmas and the winter solstice. A time of light and life and hope. As is my custom, I will give you some interesting info surrounding this special holiday.

Did you know, for example, that the "holly and the ivy" originally comes from the tradition of hanging these green garlands on the ridgepole of houses to honor the Lord and the Lady of the Greenwood prior to Christianity?

Ever wonder where the Santa coming down the chimney to deliver gifts comes from? In medieval Europe one Archbishop, Nicolas by name, was taken aback at the tremendous poverty of his parish. So he began to deliver gifts to these inpoverished souls, sneaking in at night and leaving the presents in their shoes (our "stocking" tradition). He did this at midwinter when the need was greatest, but also at other times of the year as well. The bishop's robes of course were red. The story changed and grew over time to become Old Saint Nick, Santa!

ASK BRAMSCHANDOZ

Q: My acrylics seem to have an uneven sheen to them when they dry, what causes this?

A: Acrylics are balanced emulsions of water, pigment and thermoplastic resins. As soon as they are exposed to air they begin to dry, and they dry very quickly (thin layers in as little as ten minutes). To slow the drying process down, we add water or mediums to the mix. This alters the composition of the balanced emulsions, causing them to dry unevenly sometimes. The differences in the composition of the pigments themselves can also cause the paints to dry differently. The best solution is to paint as you normally would and, once everything dries, use a varnish to give it an all over, even finish. Kamar varnish is a good choice for a nice, satiny finish.

JEFF'S TIPS

Photographs can be of tremendous help to an artist when planning a project. As stated in an earlier column, there are several basic pitfalls to avoid. However, the greatest pitfall to avoid and one we haven't discussed, is relying on photos entirely with no knowledge of the real thing.

Here is this month's tip: draw from life whenever and wherever possible. This will give you a better sense of you subject, more confidence and will help you to better utilize your photo references in the future!

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